Pandemic Planning and Foundational Ethical Questions of Justice, the Common Good and the Public Interest

An influenza pandemic appears to be inevitable. While the severity and scope of a pandemic are uncertain, it is clear that it will impact virtually every aspect of Canadian and global society. Significant scientific and health policy challenges are the object of considerable discussion and debate. Much is not yet known about important health and safety issues. Underlying these challenges are important ethical issues of justice, care and protection of the public. Public health policy and practice deal with these issues of balancing individual freedom with public safety every day. However, the fear, uncertainty and magnitude of the risks inherent in pandemics raise the ethical concerns of just and responsible public health policy to a high level for individuals and for societies. Society in general and health care decision-making, in particular, have privileged individual choice and autonomous decision-making. Public policy must respect these issues but act for the good of all. It is not at all clear how to balance the interests of the individual with that of the public. There are many different ¿publics¿ with many different understandings of their best interest. Policy makers and citizens alike need to engage in some deep conversation about these fundamental questions. This research is aimed at provoking and facilitating such a discussion. It focuses on some of the foundational issues of the common good, the public interest and how we ought to understand justice and fairness in times of personal and communal threat. This is an overdue conversation for Canadians but one that needs thoughtful input before pandemic panic overrides our best selves.